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Monday, January 30, 2012

In Pursuit of Pirates #6 ~ A Disneyland Paris Perspective of the Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

I cannot believe we are in the final episode of In Pursuit of Pirates! I have had so much fun reading everyone's posts on pirate inspired photography tips, scrapbook layouts, a recipe and a Disneyland perspective. Today, I am so excited to welcome Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog to share her perspective on the Disneyland Paris version of my favorite Disney attraction ~ Pirates of the Caribbean!

Pirates of the Caribbean has always been one of my most favourite attractions at Disneyland Paris! I still remember the first time I went on it with my sister and my dad - I had no idea what to expect so let's just say that the drops were extra surprising! I was lucky enough to ride the Magic Kingdom version in Florida last October ... it was so cool to see the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in this version as Disneyland Paris still hasn't had this addition. Whilst seeing Captain Jack was pretty exciting, I'm proud to say that my homepark has remained untouched by the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie franchise ... in fact it's the last version of the ride true to it's original roots ... and I kinda like it that way :)

The entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Paris is pretty neat! It's a battle-scared fortress within Adventureland, close to Skull Rock from Peter Pan - the perfect location for pirates! The piratey fun begins even before the ride itself - the queuing area runs through some dungeons with skeletal pirates scattered throughout. It's everything a pirate dungeon should be - dark, dingy and smelling of fresh sea water! As you make your way closer to the boats, you enter a Lagoon area where you feel as if you're outdoors on a calm starlit night, surrounded by palm trees and dimly lit lanterns. Pretty soon it's time to board your boats ...

The first area you enter on your is the Blue Lagoon restaurant dining area! Yep ... that's right ... guests at the Blue Lagoon Seafood restaurant (the entrance of which is near the exit to Pirates of the Caribbean ... convenient? I think so :P) can wave from afar as you pass by! This is the only version of the ride to house such a cool feature!

Next you pass though a shipwreck scene and enter a fortress - you can hear swashbuckling and gun fire as you're pulled up the first lift hill - and trust me ... it's a big one! And of course, what goes up ... must come down! The first time I was climbing this hill I clutched at the seat in front of me ... bracing myself for a big drop down the other side ... but I didn't have to worry ... the boat slides down the smallest hill possible and bobs around a corner as if everything's fine! (Those sneaky Imagineers)

Deeper inside the fortress, you come across an iconic scene ... some pirates in jail trying to coax the guard dog into dropping the keys to their cell. You're so busy gaping at them that you don't notice the first drop! Whoooosh down the dark hill and before you know it your floating calmly through a town ... but it doesn't remain calm for long! Soon your boat passes into the burning town scene, where you can hear the Pirates theme song ringing through the air ... and I can't help but sing hum along (I can't sing). At the end of this scene you pass under an arch into the arsenal ... supplies have been ignited by the fire and ... explode! ... You guessed it ... time for another drop! Descending into darkness you're caught unaware by the flash of the on-ride photo! (Gosh the faces you get on this one! lol!)

Phew! At the bottom of the drop you sail into the last scene - the grotto! Here you can see some of the famous skeleton pirate scenes from the Disneyland version, including the ships wheel scene complete with wind and thunder! At the exit of the grotto you're greeted by the skull and crossbones pirate from above ... he speaks both French and English! Once the boats reach the docks, you exit the ride into 'Le Coffre du Capitaine' - a pretty cool pirates themed gift store! Exit the store and head left to come to the Blue Lagoon Restaurant!

I've never dined here because I'm not all that fond of sea food ... but I know Steve from Dedicated to DlpLoves this place! I like regular kinds of fish so I'm sure I'll try it one day, even if it's just to see the boats from Pirates of the Caribbean floating by! :)

Thank you so much to Beth for having me as part of this wonderful series!

It's been a blast! (No pun intended ... buahaha! :P)

P.s. Believe it or not I realised I don't have any good photos of Pirates of the Caribbean ... largely due to the darkness inside! But armed with these fantastic photo tips from Debs at Focused on the Magic ... I hope I can get some great ones next time I visit! Please be sure to check them out! :)

Thank you so much, Amanda, for sharing the Disneyland Paris version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Now not only do I need to plan a trip to California to experience the Disneyland version, now a trip to Disneyland Paris seems to be next on the list!

If you haven't visited Amanda over at Manda's Disney Blog, I highly recommend that you do. She shares some funny Disney LOLs, as well as her Disney-inspired kitchen creations and of course lots of Disneyland Paris news, including details of the upcoming 20th Anniversary celebration! You can find her on Facebook at Manda's Disney Blog and on Twitter at @MandaDisneyBlog.

I have to say, the paris version is far superior to the Floridian version... The blue lagoon restaurant serves spectacular food as well! The swordfish is to die for! No visit is complete without riding this 5 times at least!! :)